June 04, 2006

ERGO PROXY - new techno-gothic anime action

Just wanted to flag a few new anime series that have been made with a great deal of care, and buck the trend that they all have to feature cute monsters, samurai, school children or giant robots. I've already mentioned Mushishi, which is my current favourite, but here's a few runners-up.

ERGO PROXY

This started really well with a crazed demon-thing loose in a futuristic city. It is being tracked by a decidedly goth-looking detective (I think she looks a lot like the lead singer from Curve, Toni Halliday). But then the action calms down to follow rebel life outside the sealed city, which is considerably duller.

Part of the premise seems to involve supposedly emotionless androids contracting a virus and somehow 'getting religion'. A phenomenon that could cause chaos in all that's left of human society. Is there a connection with the super-fast being murdering everything in its way?

Awesome opening episodes though, great art, even arty and some fierce action. It stuck me that this shares a similar premise to Ghost in the Shell, but it couldn't be more different. A little girl cyborg called Pino (wearing bunny rabbit fancy dress) is becoming a fascinating character. I'll stick with it and hope Lil, the detective goth gets back into the action.

I'm definitely sticking with it though, episode 11 was a total trip!

July 7 Update:

Twitch film reports that Ergo Proxy will get released on Region 1 DVD at the end of the year... full report linked here.

4 comments:

I love Lil.Lir, Real or whatever her name is, I want to cosplay her so much! I must hunt round camden for the clothes ^_^. Cool blog, i was searching for recommendations of cool japanese horror films :D so thanks!

I like this anime series for its nontrivial, addictive story and unique dark climate, which reminds me classics of cyberpunk. Probably only the end is somehow too simple and leaves more to wish. Neverthless, Ergo Proxy is definitely worth watching.

The only real problem with Ergo Proxy is that the story collapses like a black hole (literally) under it's own weight by the end, and it's finale is disappointing.. and then there are a couple of clunky 'what-if?/false ending' episodes to get through, first. BUT- viewed as a sortof mythic sendup of 'the Odyssey' it holds up. The journey is the important part. The last man, the last woman, the artificial child. I think the episode 'Busy doing nothing' is one of the best episodes of anime, ever.

The only real problem with Ergo Proxy is that the story collapses like a black hole (literally) under it's own weight by the end, and it's finale is disappointing.. and then there are a couple of clunky 'what-if?/false ending' episodes to get through, first. BUT- viewed as a sortof mythic sendup of 'the Odyssey' it holds up. The journey is the important part. The last man, the last woman, the artificial child. I think the episode 'Busy doing nothing' is one of the best episodes of anime, ever.